Labour’s answer: LessLabour will halt and review the NHS
'Sustainability and Transformation
Plans', which are looking at closing
health services across England, and
ask local people to participate in the
redrawing of plans with a focus on
patient need rather than available
finances. We will create a new quality,
safety and excellence regulator -
to be called 'NHS Excellence'.
The next Labour government will
reverse privatisation of our NHS and
return our health service into expert
public control. Labour will repeal the
Health and Social Care Act that puts
profits before patients, and make
the NHS the preferred provider.
We will reinstate the powers of the
Secretary of State for Health to have
overall responsibility for the NHS.Source

Should there be more or less privatisation of hospital and healthcare services?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: LessThe Labour leader today promised to 'rescue the National Health Service' from the Tories the he accuses of introducing failed market...Source

Should the government increase funding for mental health research and treatment?statsdiscuss

Labour have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should foreign visitors have to pay for emergency medical treatment during their stay in the UK?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: No, emergency care should not be denied to those cannot afford itLabour would not support changes that make doctors and nurses surrogate immigration...Source

Should private firms reimburse the NHS if they exceed a 5% profit on contracts?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: YesLabour would cap the amount of profit private firms can make from the NHS in England, Ed Miliband has said as he launched the party's election campaign. He pledged to halt the "the tide of privatisation" he claims has taken place in the health service since 2010 and ensure a "proper" level of funding. Private firms will have to reimburse the NHS if they exceed a 5% profit cap on contracts, he told activists.Source

Labour’s answer: YesNHS
In the aftermath of war and
national bankruptcy. it was a
Labour government that found
the resources to create a National
Health Service — our proudest
achievement. providing universal
healthcare for all on the basis of
need, free at the point of use.Source

Labour’s answer: NoA Conservative party spokesperson told us, "There is clear scientific and medical evidence that cannabis is a harmful drug which can damage people's mental and physical health, and harms individuals and communities. We have no plans to change the...Source

Should cities open drug “safe havens” where people who are addicted to illegal drugs can use them under the supervision of medical professionals?statsdiscuss

Labour have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should the UK deport immigrants who are considered to be promoting terrorism?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: YesBut MPs did vote in favour of Home Secretary Theresa May's plan to strip foreign-born terror suspects of UK citizenship, by 297 to 34. The rebel plan only failed thanks to opposition from Labour and Lib Dem...Source

Should immigrants be deported if they commit a serious crime?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: Depends on where they are from, level of integration and threat.Source

Should the government enact a stricter immigration policy?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: YesLabour says on its website. "We are proud of our diverse and outward-facing country, where people have come from abroad over many generations to build Britain’s businesses, work in our public services and contribute to this country. We also understand that people have legitimate concerns about immigration policy – that's why we believe reforms are needed."
Those reforms:
Migrants will not be able to claim benefits for at least two years.
Border controls will be strengthened, plus an extra 1,000 border staff, making it easier to deport foreign criminals and stop illegal immigration.
Exploitation of illegal immigrants in the workplace will be deterred by tougher penalities.
Also promised is a “smarter system of controls” to encourage “top talent” and to control low skilled migration, while workers in “public services in public facing roles” will be required to speak EnglishSource

Labour’s answer: NoLabour is proud of the benefits the Human Rights Act has brought to a countless number of people in the UK. We will passionately defend our membership of the European Convention on Human Rights. We mustn’t let the Tories turn back the...Source

Should the UK be allowed to access European Markets once they leave the EU?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: Yes“We will scrap the Conservatives’ Brexit white paper and replace it with fresh negotiating priorities that have a strong emphasis on retaining the benefits of the single market and the Customs Union - which are essential for maintaining industries, jobs and businesses in Britain.Source

Should every 18 year old citizen be required to provide at least one year of military service?statsdiscuss

Should the UK renew its Trident nuclear weapons programme?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: YesLabour - like the Conservatives - is committed to replacing the ageing fleet of Vanguard class submarines which carry the Trident missiles and maintaining the continuous at-sea deterrent, ensuring there is always one nuclear-armed vessel on...Source

Should the government conduct military strikes against North Korea in order to destroy their long-range missile and nuclear weapons capabilities?statsdiscuss

Should 18-21 year olds take on unpaid community work in order to claim benefits?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: NoDavid Cameron said about 50,000 18 to 21-year-olds would be required to do daily work experience from day one of their claim, alongside job searching. The welfare shake-up would make sure young people "don't get sucked into a life on welfare", he said in a speech. Labour said the Tories would do nothing to get young people "real jobs". The opposition has pledged a compulsory jobs guarantee for the young unemployed, paid for by a tax on bankers' bonuses.Source

Labour’s answer: YesChris Leslie MP, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, responding to reports that RBS may ask the Government to approve a rise in the EU’s cap on bank bonuses, said: “At a time when families face a cost-of-living crisis and bank lending to business is falling, it cannot be right for George Osborne to approve a doubling of the bank bonus cap.Source

Labour’s answer: No, but increase the tax-free allowanceHealth Secretary Andy Burnham has often said he would like to see a compulsory levy to pay for elderly care. Last month he told another Fabian Society conference that he wanted Labour to ‘embrace’ a system where social care is funded by a tax on estates when people die. Mr Burnham said Labour was holding ‘internal discussions’ about the tax, which it is understood would be levied on top of the 40 per cent inheritance tax.Source

Should the government raise or lower the tax rate for corporations?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: RaiseLabour confirmed an estimated £1.5 billion NHS pay increase would be paid for by raising duty on British...Source

Should homeowners pay higher taxes on "mansions" valued over £2m?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: Yes“I think it is right and fair that we tax properties worth over £2 million across the UK - a small number are in Scotland but the vast majority are in London and the South East. “It is then fair that you share that tax across the country, and it just so happens that Scotland would get an enormous boost from that.Source

Should every student be required to take a GCSE exam at the end of Year Eleven?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: YesLabour said scrapping GCSEs and replacing them with a single, more difficult exam would fail students in the 21st...Source

Should the government allow businesses, charities, parents or teachers to use public money to start "free schools"?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: NoWe’re worried that the government’s free school policy is a distraction from the vital task of improving the vast majority of schools and as people know we have major concerns about parts of this policy, including: The schools are being funded by money taken from other schools; There is no account of how the schools will be joined up with other local schools and services. We don’t want a free-for-all undermining other schools; There are clearly concerns that schools might be able to open without meeting basic minimum standards like having a play ground.Source

Should internet service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites (that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less popular websites (that pay lower rates)?statsdiscuss

Should nonviolent drug offenders be given mandatory jail sentences?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: NoUnder Tony Blair’s government, the Labour party embraced authoritarianism in policing and maintained the flawed drug policy that remains the consensus between our main political parties today. This policy, dictating that drug-takers should be imprisoned in order to help deal with their drug habit, would be entirely laughable were it not causing such harm to our society. The reality is that the cycle of drug use, imprisonment and unemployment (either due to a criminal record or health issues from addiction) is damaging not only to the individual but to society as a whole. This cycle can only be broken by countering the root of the problem: addiction.Source

Labour’s answer: YesEveryone at Labour's conference in Manchester seems to agree that Ed Miliband and David Cameron cannot break their promise to Scottish voters to hand more power to the Scottish Parliament as soon as possible. They also agree that the current system at Westminster is unfair and in need of reform.Source

Should the Welsh assembly be granted more devolved power from Parliament to create regional laws?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: YesAt our conference last weekend the Labour Party set our clear plans to devolve new powers to Wales, over key areas such as policing, ports, energy and the Work Programme. These moves are in line with the recommendations from the Silk Commission and have been shown to command widespread support.Source

Do you support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: No"Today I am announcing that the next Labour government will ban fracking in the UK,"
Labour has committed to ban fracking if it wins the next election.
The party has so far called for a moratorium on fracking in the UK, and criticised the environmental safeguards that have been weakened by the Conservative goverment.Source

Do you support the use of genetically engineered crops and foods?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: YesBelieves GM crops must be taken seriously and could make a real contribution, so long as they are shown to be...Source

Should disposable products (such as plastic cups, plates, and cutlery) that contain less than 50% of biodegradable material be banned?statsdiscuss

Should France continue to assassinate suspected terrorists in foreign countries?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: YesWe owe it to all those involved in the chain of command for such uses of lethal force to provide them with absolute clarity about the circumstances in which they will have a defence against any possible future criminal prosecution, including those which might originate from outside the UK,” says the committee, chaired by the former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman MP.Source

Should laptops be banned on all direct flights departing from the Middle East?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: NoJeremy Corbyn will lay out plans to take parts of Britain’s energy industry back into public ownership alongside the railways and the Royal Mail in a radical manifesto that promises an annual injection of £6bn for the NHS and £1.6bn for social...Source

Should the government increase spending on public transportation?statsdiscuss

Labour have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should the London Underground be considered an "essential service" which would ban all future worker strikes?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: No, and I will demonstrate my personal supportAll-out strikes would be banned in key transport services, such as the London Underground, under plans being examined for inclusion in next year’s Conservative Party manifesto... Labour accused the party of trying to use the industrial action to score political points.Source

Do you support the construction of a high speed railway (HS2) connecting London to Birmingham?statsdiscuss

Labour’s answer: Yes"It was the previous Labour Government that started us on the journey to a high speed future for Britain’s rail network that has reached this important milestone today. HS2 is a vital project for the country and I welcome the decision to give a green light to this investment in the face of considerable opposition including within the Cabinet. Source

Conservative’s political stances

Conservative’s answer: More, but only where it can increase quality while reducing costsWe have allowed patients more opportunity to choose whichever provider they want, be it the NHS, a charity, or an independent provider, all at NHS...Source

Should there be more or less privatisation of hospital and healthcare services?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: More“ We have allowed patients more opportunity to choose whichever provider they want, be it the NHS, a charity, or an independent provider, all at NHS......Source

Should the government increase funding for mental health research and treatment?statsdiscuss

Conservative have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should foreign visitors have to pay for emergency medical treatment during their stay in the UK?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: YesOur NHS should be a national health service, not an international health...Source

Should private firms reimburse the NHS if they exceed a 5% profit on contracts?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: NoLabour would cap the amount of profit private firms can make from the NHS in England, Ed Miliband has said as he launched the party's election campaign.
He pledged to halt the "the tide of privatisation" he claims has taken place in the health service since 2010 and ensure a "proper" level of funding.
Private firms will have to reimburse the NHS if they exceed a 5% profit cap on contracts, he told activists.
The Conservatives said the move was an "ill-thought through gimmick".
...
The restrictions, in combination with the £2.5bn in extra funding already promised by Labour, will provide a "double lock" to protect the NHS, he added.
The Conservatives responded by saying outsourcing to the private sector rose twice as fast under the previous Labour government than it had done since 2010.
"This is no more than a gimmick to scare people about privatisation that isn't happening," said Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
"It risks higher infection rates, higher waiting times and chaos for our NHS."Source

Should the UK deport immigrants who are considered to be promoting terrorism?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: YesWe believe that Britain should be able to deport foreign nationals who threaten our security to countries where there are verifiable guarantees that they will not be tortured. We are seeking to extend these guarantees to more...Source

Should immigrants be deported if they commit a serious crime?statsdiscuss

Should the UK renew its Trident nuclear weapons programme?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: Yes, and upgrade the current programmeThe Conservative Party leadership supports like-for-like replacement, and enjoys strong majority support within the party for this position. This position is consistent with the party’s position throughout Britain’s history as a nuclear-armed...Source

Should the government conduct military strikes against North Korea in order to destroy their long-range missile and nuclear weapons capabilities?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: YesDonald Trump's decision to launch airstrikes against Bashar-al Assad has left Labour similarly riven. As the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats backed the action, the media waited for an opposition...Source

Do you support the military offensive against ISIS in the Iraqi city of Mosul?statsdiscuss

Should the top tax rate of income over £150,000 be raised to 50 percent?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: NoOn Saturday, the top rate of tax will be reduced from 50p to 45p. I know this is controversial – but if we’re serious about Britain succeeding in the world, it’s an economic...Source

Should Canada pursue free trade deals with other countries?statsdiscuss

Should 18-21 year olds take on unpaid community work in order to claim benefits?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: Yes, and every capable person claiming benefits should take on unpaid community workTens of thousands of jobless teenagers will be barred from claiming benefits from "day one" unless they agree to carry out community work under a future Conservative government. David Cameron will today announce plans to get rid of the "well worn path from the school gate and onto a life on benefits" and "give everyone the chance of a better future". Under the plans those aged between 18 and 21 who have not had a job for six months will be barred from claiming benefit unless they agree to start an apprenticeship or complete community work.Source

Conservative’s answer: No, any worker should be rewarded based on their successGeorge Osborne has dropped his legal challenge to the European Union cap on bankers bonuses after a leading legal adviser to European court judges comprehensively dismissed the Treasury’s appeal. The cap restricts bonuses to 100pc of banker’s pay or 200pc with the approval of shareholders. The Treasury said it will now withdraw its challenge, “and instead look at other ways of building a system of pay in global banking that encourages rather than undermines responsibility.” “I’m not going to spend taxpayers’ money on a legal challenge now unlikely to succeed. The fact remains these are badly designed rules that are pushing up bankers’ pay not reducing it," the Chancellor said. "These rules may be legal but they are entirely self-defeating, so we need to find another way to end rewards for failure in our banks."Source

Conservative’s answer: No, but increase the tax-free allowanceMr Cameron said it was wrong that the middle-classes were increasingly unable to bequeath a family home to their children without paying 40 per cent tax. "Inheritance tax should [only] be paid by the very wealthy, and I think you should be able to pass a family home on to your children rather than leave it to the taxman."Source

Should citizens be allowed to save or invest their money in offshore bank accounts?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: Yes, less to the politicians and their relatives.Source

Should pension payments be increased for retired government workers?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: NoWe will build on existing powers to give pension schemes and the PensionsRegulator the right to scrutinise, clear with conditions or in extreme cases stop mergers,takeovers or large financial commitments that threaten the solvency of the...Source

Do you support the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: Pro-choice“Everyone looks at the evidence and comes to a view about when they think that moment is, and my own view is that 12 weeks is the right point for it,” Mr Hunt told The...Source

Should gay couples have the same adoption rights as straight couples?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: YesShe added: "On gay adoption I have changed my mind... because I have been persuaded that when you are looking at the future for a child, I think it's better for a child who is perhaps in an institutional environment, if they have an opportunity of being in a stable, family environment - be that a heterosexual couple or a gay couple - then I think it's more important that that child is in that stable and loving environment and I have genuinely changed my mind on that."Source

Should businesses be required to have women on their board of directors?statsdiscuss

Should free meals be offered to all primary school students?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: Yes106 Provision of free school lunches (1)The Education Act 1996 is amended as follows. (2)In section 512ZB (provision of free school lunches and milk at maintained schools)— (a)in subsection (2)(a) after “subsection (4)” insert “or (4A) (or both)”, (b)after subsection (4) insert— “(4A)A person is within this subsection if the person— (a)is a registered pupil at a maintained school or pupil referral unit in England, and (b)is in reception, year 1, year 2 or any other prescribed year group at the school.Source

Should all state schools be required to follow a standard curriculum?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: Yes, but allow flexibility for non-core subjectsIn education, the Conservatives have pledged to review the National Curriculum, and introduce the English...Source

Would you support the return of a selective education system and the reintroduction of grammar schools?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: YesThe campaign is pushing for a reversal of the 1998 Labour legislation that outlawed the creation of any new grammar schools to be included in the Conservative party...Source

Should every student be required to take a GCSE exam at the end of Year Eleven?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: YesNuclear power is low carbon, affordable, dependable, safe and capable of increasing the diversity of energy supply. New nuclear power stations will help the UK reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and secure its energy...Source

Conservative’s answer: Yes, but ban exclusivity clauses and guarantee a minimum number of hoursWhen companies employ staff on zero hours contracts and then stop them from getting work elsewhere, that's not a free market – it is a fixed...Source

Should the UK reinstate a form of mandatory national service?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: Yes, but only for those who do not pursue further education or employmentKettering’s Conservative MP Philip Hollobone, who sponsored the bill, is convinced that some form of service for youngsters, be it charitable work, care for the elderly, work linked to the NHS or participation in the armed forces, would help instil a greater sense of ‘self-respect, personal reliance, discipline and behaviour’ into society.Source

Should Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish MPs be entitled to vote on legislation which only affects England?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: NoThe Prime Minister is offering a “decisive answer” to the West Lothian question. Some Conservative MPs say that means giving England its own parliament like the one the Scots have. But Mr Cameron favours reforming the House of Commons, so that only English MPs could vote on English laws. He’s also suggested English-only decisions on tax and spending in England.
Source

Should internet service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites (that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less popular websites (that pay lower rates)?statsdiscuss

Should nonviolent drug offenders be given mandatory jail sentences?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: YesWe will introduce honesty in sentencing so courts set a minimum and a maximum period of incarceration. We will replace automatic release with earned release. We will make community sentences tough and effective, and withdraw benefits for those who don’t attend. We will enforce Drug Rehabilitation Requirements .Source

Conservative’s answer: No"If a bill is certified as England only in its entirety the members of a public bill committee will only be chosen from MPs representing constituencies in England. If an England only bill is considered on the floor of the House at committee stage it will be considered only by MPs representing constituencies in England."Source

Should the Welsh assembly be granted more devolved power from Parliament to create regional laws?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: Yes"Theresa May has indicated she will allow Conservative MPs a free vote on whether to bring back fox hunting. The PM, who says she has always been in favour of fox hunting, said it was up to Parliament to take the decision."...Source

Should the government increase environmental regulations on businesses to reduce carbon emissions?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: No"David Cameron has made clear that prisoners will not get the vote as long as he is Prime Minister. Nothing is going to change. He has made clear that the idea of them getting the vote makes him physically...Source

Should non-violent prisoners be released from jail in order to reduce overcrowding?statsdiscuss

Should the London Underground be considered an "essential service" which would ban all future worker strikes?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: YesDavid Cameron could promise to class the London Underground as an "essential service" as part of the next Conservative manifesto in an effort to stop strike action disrupting the...Source

Do you support the construction of a high speed railway (HS2) connecting London to Birmingham?statsdiscuss

Conservative’s answer: YesConservatives in Government are delivering a modern transport infrastructure that is essential for growth and business, as well as improving people's lives. We are reforming our railways, investing in infrastructure, building High Speed Two, and unblocking our roads – to deliver a transport system that works for the 21st Century.Source

Should the UK deport immigrants who are considered to be promoting terrorism?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesI have been doing a bit of digging this morning and found someone from deep within the Westminster Bubble to give me an idea of why the Liberal Democrats would agree to something as drastic as potentially making someone stateless. Well, actually, the Home Secretary already can do just that in two instances already. The first is if citizenship is acquired (including if you were born here) by fraudulent means or facts were concealed and the second is if the person is not conducive to the public good. It came about because of Al Jeddah who could have taken up Iraqi nationality after being deprived of his UK citizenship.The amendment today is described as a tweak to that to enable the Home Secretary to leave someone stateless, a power that they actually had up until 2003. It would be very unusual for that to happen, I’m told, because this will not apply to people who were born here, only to people who have acquired UK citizenship. They have the alternative of resuming their former citizenship so that they would ...Source

Should immigrants be deported if they commit a serious crime?statsdiscuss

Should Muslim immigrants be banned from entering the country until the government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoMuslims are our friends, colleagues, family and neighbours. When he insults them in such a grotesque manner he insults us all.
I have been in touch with Muslim community leaders in Edinburgh. He should come and meet some of those he wants to ban from America when he visits Scotland later this month.Source

Should immigrants be required to pass a citizenship test to demonstrate a basic understanding of our country’s language, history, and government?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoLiberal Democrats are the only party that has consistently championed Britain’s membership of the European Union, because we believe that Britain’s best chance to succeed is within the...Source

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoClegg won his battle largely because the coalition agreement, negotiated in haste in the immediate aftermath of the general election, makes it clear that the coalition should not seek to withdraw from the convention. It states: "We will establish a commission to investigate the creation of a British Bill of Rights that incorporates and builds on all our obligations under the European convention on human rights, ensures that these rights continue to be enshrined in British law, and protects and extends British liberties." The passage was negotiated between Cameron and Clegg right at the end of the coalition talks by the time Cameron was actually installed in Downing Street. This angered some Tories who feel the prime minister needlessly sold the pass on the issue when he was already in a strong negotiating position.Source

Should the UK be allowed to access European Markets once they leave the EU?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: Yes, and remain a member of the single market"Do you think the UK should stay in the single market?... That is what the Liberal Democrats have been arguing...Source

Should every 18 year old citizen be required to provide at least one year of military service?statsdiscuss

Should the UK renew its Trident nuclear weapons programme?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: No, and the UK should encourage all countries to dismantle their nuclear weapon programmesCampaigning to reduce the number of Trident nuclear submarines, saving costs and making sure our nuclear defence system is fit for the 21st...Source

Should the government conduct military strikes against North Korea in order to destroy their long-range missile and nuclear weapons capabilities?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesDonald Trump's decision to launch airstrikes against Bashar-al Assad has left Labour similarly riven. As the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats backed the action, the media waited for an opposition...Source

Do you support the military offensive against ISIS in the Iraqi city of Mosul?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: No"Liberal Democrats are the only party that has consistently championed Britain’s membership of the European Union, because we believe that Britain’s best chance to succeed is within the...Source

Should the number of countries in the European Union be reduced to 15?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: No"Liberal Democrats are the only party that has consistently championed Britain’s membership of the European Union, because we believe that Britain’s best chance to succeed is within the...Source

Liberal Democrat’s answer: Only if unemployment will not increaseSource

Should there be fewer or more restrictions on current welfare benefits?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: More, reform the system so that it supplements, rather than replaces, a working incomeIntroduced a benefits cap so nobody can get more than the average working family, but we are withdrawing benefits more gradually, so people aren’t worse off if they get a low paid...Source

Should the government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the national debt?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: Yes, but protect NHS and education from these cutsSource

Should the top tax rate of income over £150,000 be raised to 50 percent?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoLib Dem delegates voted by a majority of just four (224-220) not to pledge to reintroduce the 50p rate as Clegg and Farron...Source

Should Canada pursue free trade deals with other countries?statsdiscuss

Should child benefits be restricted to a maximum of two children?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoThe Liberal Democrats have stopped their plans to scrap child benefit for ordinary families with more than two children, and to prevent young people from getting housing benefit, even if they are in a low paid...Source

Should 18-21 year olds take on unpaid community work in order to claim benefits?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoConservative plans for young benefits claimants are "all stick and no carrot", a Liberal Democrat spokesman has said. Speaking as David Cameron unveiled plans to have such claimants take on unpaid community work or be stripped of their benefits, the spokesman said These placements are not designed to help someone into work, more to punish. Young people should be given help and support into the workplace, help at job centres and the opportunity to get on in life, not just written off as feckless and lazy. We must make sure young people leave school with the skills they need to succeed, which is why Liberal Democrats will protect education spending. – Lib Dem spokesmanSource

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesFinal agreement on a cap for bankers’ bonuses will be reached tonight in Brussels with the completion of the last trialogue negotiation between the European Parliament and European Commission. New rules on bonuses, incorporated in the updated Capital Requirements Directive (CRD), include: A salary / bonus ratio of 1:1 which can be raised to 1:2 with a shareholder vote of 65% if there is a 50% quorum or 75% vote if no quorum applied. Up to 25% of the bonus can be paid in long-term instruments (deferred for five years) linked to the capital, and therefore stability, of the bank.* Sharon Bowles MEP, who chairs the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee and who led the trialogue negotiations on CRD*, said: “A cap on bankers’ bonuses is not a punishment for bankers but a realignment of the work / reward ratio. “Anyone receiving their annual salary, or twice their annual salary, as an additional bonus should not complain they are not sufficiently rewarded for their work. “The mass exodu...Source

Liberal Democrat’s answer: No, reform so the tax rate is based on the wealth of the recipient rather than the deceasedThe Conservatives can't be trusted to deliver fair taxes by themselves. We blocked their plans to give millionaires a £270,000 inheritance tax cut and they refuse to create a mansion tax because they are worried it would affect their big...Source

Liberal Democrat have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should tenants receive less benefits if they live in a housing association or council property with more bedrooms than occupants?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: Yes, but with exception for those with disabled family membersThe Liberal Democrats were accused of ‘outrageous hypocrisy’ tonight after voting against one of the Government’s flagship welfare policies. Lib Dem ministers and MPs voted in the House of Commons for drastic changes to the ‘spare room subsidy’ for council house tenants - a policy better known as the 'bedroom tax' which they voted for just two years ago. Tory ministers said the reversal would cost £1billion in additional welfare spending. Business Secretary Vince Cable even described the policy by the ‘bedroom tax’ name given to it by its most vociferous critics.Source

Should the government use economic stimulus to aid the country during times of recession?statsdiscuss

Should mortgage lenders be allowed to provide buy-to-let mortgage loans?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: Yes, but reduce tax evasion by landlordsIn an economy where private consumption accounts for four-fifths of spending cutting housing costs in this way is likely to boost GDP. And since this part of Help to Buy is tied to building, it should work even if the new nests end up in the hands of buy-to-let landlords: a bigger housing stock should drive down rents, and provide jobs for the workers that build them.Source

Should the government abolish the non-domicile rule which allows residents to limit the tax paid on earnings outside the UK?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesInclusive environment
Equal marriage
To build on the work of Liberal Democrats in government in introducing same sex marriage, and in working toward equal marriage we will:
* Make changes in law to enable the Church of England to perform same sex marriage should it so choose (3.1.3)
* Review the law around transgender and marriage to remove the ‘spousal veto’ and allow couples where one partner has transitioned to reinstate their marriages (3.1.4 and 3.1.5)
* Support the introduction of non-religious marriage in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (3.1.7)
* Amend marriage certificates to allow both parents’ name and occupation to be listed (3.1.9)Source

Should terminally ill patients be allowed to end their lives via assisted suicide?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: Yes"Today the Liberal Democrat Party Conference passed a motion, proposed by Chris Davies MEP, which reaffirms their support for a change in the law on assisted...Source

Liberal Democrat’s answer: No" Such a cruel punishment has no place in modern society, all the more given the possibility that innocent people may be executed. Thankfully this is a view now held by all three major...Source

Should gay couples have the same adoption rights as straight couples?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesThe Liberal Democrats have been at the forefront of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) equality for decades. We have the best record in Parliament of any political party on LGBT+ equality issues, and we continue to develop and promote progressive policies for LGBT+ people.Source

Should businesses be required to have women on their board of directors?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat voters: No, board members should be the most qualified regardless of genderSource

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoIn government, Liberal Democrats established a fairer system such that that no undergraduate student in England had to pay a penny of their tuition fees up front or pay anything afterwards until they earn over £21,000 per year. This meant that only high-earning graduates would pay their tuition fees in full, and eliminated systematic discrimination against part-time students.Source

Should free meals be offered to all primary school students?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesAll children in the first three years of primary school will be given free school meals in a £600 million giveaway aimed at reducing the cost of living for parents, Nick Clegg has...Source

Should all state schools be required to follow a standard curriculum?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: Yes, but allow flexibility for non-core subjectsOne big win for Liberal Democrats is that this new curriculum is so much shorter than Labour’s. We have of course argued for years for a shorter, more focused curriculum that prioritises the essentials. The current National Curriculum has 468 pages in total, this new one has just 224 pages – less than half. Most heads and classroom teachers will agree this is in itself a big step in the right direction. A statement in the Government’s response to the consultation is significant, speaking of “our fundamental aim of returning the national curriculum to its original purpose as a guide to study in key subjects. It is not the role of Government to specify in detail all that pupils should learn in school”.Source

Would you support the return of a selective education system and the reintroduction of grammar schools?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: No, focus on improving current standards insteadThe Lib Dem’s position is similar to that of the Labour Party. They do not want to see more grammar schools created (without pronouncing on extensions) but would not move against existing grammar schools and the selection this involves. Support for grammar schools is higher among Lib Dem membership than it is in the Labour Party with the majority of those expressing a view in a poll on the question supporting grammar schools. All the same many Lib Dem members are opposed to selective schools.
Source

Should every student be required to take a GCSE exam at the end of Year Eleven?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: No, vocational or skill based qualifications should also be availableOur vision for education is about more than just passing exams. We should give children confidence, creativity and practical skills too. We are deeply concerned that children are increasingly missing out on subjects like art, music and sport. We want to see a broad, balanced curriculum in our schools...
...We introduced a record number of apprenticeships in the last Parliament, to support people to gain new skills or change career at any age...Source

Should the government allow businesses, charities, parents or teachers to use public money to start "free schools"?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesFree schools were introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition following the 2010 general election making it possible for parents, teachers, charities and businesses to set up their own...Source

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesAccept that new nuclear power stations can play a role in low-carbon electricity supply provided concerns about safety, disposal of waste and cost are adequately addressed and without public subsidy for new...Source

Liberal Democrat’s answer: Yes, but ban exclusivity clauses and guarantee a minimum number of hoursLiberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable is calling on business, unions and individuals to help identify and close potential loopholes in plans to ban the use of exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts. Exclusivity clauses prevent workers on zero hours contracts from taking work elsewhere even when their employer provides no work. The government is launching a consultation to find out whether a minority of unscrupulous employers may attempt to circumvent the ban by offering contracts which could guarantee just one hour of work.Source

Should the UK reinstate a form of mandatory national service?statsdiscuss

Should Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish MPs be entitled to vote on legislation which only affects England?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoWhy should Scottish – or for that matter Welsh or Northern Irish – MPs, vote on English issues, when their English counterparts cannot vote on Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish ones? The answer to that – they shouldn’t – is so obvious that most Scottish voters, let alone English ones, oppose their MPs voting on English issues.Source

Should internet service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites (that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less popular websites (that pay lower rates)?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoSafeguard the essential freedom of the internet and back net
neutrality, the principle that internet service providers should
enable access to all lawful content and applications regardless of
the source, and without favouring or blocking particular products
or websites.Source

Should nonviolent drug offenders be given mandatory jail sentences?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: No, we should decriminalise most drugsIndividuals, especially young people, can be damaged both by the imposition of criminal records and by a drug habit, and that the priority for those addicted to all substances must be healthcare, education and rehabilitation, not...Source

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoTim Farron voted in favour of a reformed house of...Source

Do you support the use of Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs)?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesIn 2012, Liberal Democrat objections prevented the implementation of proposals in a Home Office White Paper to replace the ASBO with a "criminal behaviour order", and a "crime prevention...Source

Liberal Democrat’s answer: NoAlthough not a holder of a ministerial post, Hughes is one of the most influential figures in the Lib Dem party. An English parliament is not Lib Dem policy, but if created it would shift the UK towards a federal system, with its four nations increasingly tied only by foreign affairs, defence, and other nationwide issues.Source

Should the Welsh assembly be granted more devolved power from Parliament to create regional laws?statsdiscuss

Do you support the use of genetically engineered crops and foods?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: Yes, but require the labelling of foods that are genetically modifiedThe Liberal Democrats do not have any “theological” opposition to genetically modified foods, the agriculture minister has said, paving the way for Britain to relax the rules on controversial biotech...Source

Should disposable products (such as plastic cups, plates, and cutlery) that contain less than 50% of biodegradable material be banned?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesLiberal Democrats also believe that we should extend the vote to 16 and 17 year olds. It is only right that young people who will live with the decisions of each Government have a say in electing them. The success of under 18 voting in Scotland has shown that allowing young people to vote ensures they are more engaged in the future, improving our democracy.Source

Should foreigners, currently residing in the United States, have the right to vote?statsdiscuss

Should the government increase spending on public transportation?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should the London Underground be considered an "essential service" which would ban all future worker strikes?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: No"Senior Tories believe new restrictions would prove highly popular with the voters, but their Liberal Democrat Coalition partners and Labour accused the party of trying to use the industrial action to score political...Source

Do you support the construction of a high speed railway (HS2) connecting London to Birmingham?statsdiscuss

Liberal Democrat’s answer: YesThe Lib Dems are making high speed rail a reality, helping us to build a stronger, more balanced economy and create 100,000...Source

Green’s answer: Less, and nationalise all health servicesParty members and elected representatives including Brighton MP Caroline Lucas joined hundreds of campaigners, trade unionists, NHS staff and patients, alongside representatives from other political parties to demonstrate against the privatisation of the NHS.Source

Should there be more or less privatisation of hospital and healthcare services?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Less, and there should be no privatization of the healthcare industryHealthcare is not a commodity to be bought or sold. The National Health Service must provide healthcare, free at the point of need, funded through taxation. It must be a public service funded by, run by and accountable to local and national government and devoid of all privatisation, whether privatised administration, healthcare provision, support services or capital ownership.Source

Should the government increase funding for mental health research and treatment?statsdiscuss

Green have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should foreign visitors have to pay for emergency medical treatment during their stay in the UK?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: No, emergency care should not be denied to those cannot afford itLambert, London's Green MEP and the Green Party's immigration spokesperson, said: "This is all about deflecting attention from benefit cuts, and not really about protecting UK benefits and public services at all.” "'Benefit Tourism' is a myth - not borne out by the facts at all, as the EU Commission and the OECD have made clear. In fact, those born outside the UK tend to pay more tax, and claim fewer benefits, than those born here - they are, as a group, net contributors to the public purse. "Overwhelmingly, people come here to work and some come because they feel safer here than in their home-country: both of these say very positive things about the UK. Cameron prefers not to recognise that - he's too busy looking for the next set of benefit cuts."Source

Should private firms reimburse the NHS if they exceed a 5% profit on contracts?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Yes, but I would rather eliminate any privatisation of the NHSSource

Green’s answer: Yes, and legalise, tax, and regulate marijuana instead of criminalizing it"Cannabis would be removed from the 1971 Misuse of drugs act. The possession, trade and cultivation of cannabis would be immediately decriminalised, roughly following the Dutch model. The trade in Cannabis would be the subject of a Royal Commission (see below), with a view to establishing a fully legalised, controlled and regulated trade."Source

Should cities open drug “safe havens” where people who are addicted to illegal drugs can use them under the supervision of medical professionals?statsdiscuss

Green have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should the UK deport immigrants who are considered to be promoting terrorism?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: No, the definition of terrorism is too broadWe oppose the way the Government has used the attacks to introduce ever more draconian measures that undermine all our civil liberties, and would end the use of control orders, restrict pre-charge detention of terrorist suspects to 7 days and end the policy of ‘Deportation with Assurances’ (which can result in torture).Source

Should immigrants be deported if they commit a serious crime?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoNatalie added: "'Yes to the EU' does not mean we are content with the union continuing to operate as it has in the past. There is a huge democratic deficit in its functioning, a serious bias towards the interests of neoliberalism and 'the market', and central institutions have been overbuilt. But to achieve those reforms we need to work with fellow EU members, not try to dictate high handedly to them, as David Cameron has done."
Source

Green’s answer: NoThe Green Party supports the Human Rights Act and the continued direct access to Convention rights in the domestic courts, saving claimants the expense and difficulty of taking their cases to The European Court of Human Rights in...Source

Should the UK be allowed to access European Markets once they leave the EU?statsdiscuss

Should the government increase or decrease foreign aid spending?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Not change the amount, however, do not give to countries that have active space programmes, and nuclear weapons.Source

Should the government increase or decrease military spending?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: DecreasePD302 On inspection, there is little or no threat of direct invasion of the UK by any nation. Commitment to a large standing army, a navy of large warships around our coastline, squadrons of fighter planes and a cripplingly expensive missile defence system is therefore unnecessary. Any threat of invasion that might arise in the future is so remote that realignment of the UK military and defence preparations would be possible long before any invasion occurred.Source

Green’s answer: NoEU101 We recognise the value of the original goal of the founders of the European Communities, who sought to remove the threat of another war between European states. This has been distorted by vested political and economic interests into a union dominated by economic interests, which lacks democratic control, and promotes the goals of multinational corporations which are interested in profit not people, and which runs counter to the professed core values of the Union. We believe that the ecological challenges and stark inequalities the world faces present a potential new role for the EU as part of wider global co-operation.
Structures
EU110 To achieve the Green vision, Europe will need very different structures from those currently in existence. Europe should be made up of overlapping, co-operative, democratic, decentralised groupings of nations and regions.
...
EU113 Europe must not become a super-state or global power bloc.Source

Green’s answer: NoPD202 "Defence" is the protection of homeland against attack and does not justify pre-emptive strikes against nations and organisations. Military intervention for peacekeeping or conflict prevention cannot be justified unilaterally. It is irrational and immoral to continue activities that exacerbate threats to international and local security.
Effectiveness
PD203 The first objective of all government policy must be to provide real, sustainable security effectively. Real security cannot be based upon a balance of nuclear terror, nor upon a global domination by a group of states operating largely from self-interest. Societies and their governments must instead address the real threats facing us, by engaging in ecological and socially sustainable practices, eradicating poverty, and by building trust between peoples.
Minimum Military Preparations; Proportionality
...
Minimum Intervention
PD206 Military intervention in disputes by external powers rarely solves the problem, and more often reinforces animosities. Emphasis at all times must be on forms of peaceful assistance to local and international organisations working to resolve conflict, to protect local culture and sustainable practices, to engage in genuine mediation and the building of strong democratic institutions, and to build links between the people within conflicting communities.
PD207 In those desperate situations when this becomes impossible and some form of military intervention involving UK forces is necessary in the immediate term to prevent conflict or extreme and sustained oppression, it must be under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) or within Europe under the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).Source

Do you support the military offensive against ISIS in the Iraqi city of Mosul?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoPD202 "Defence" is the protection of homeland against attack and does not justify pre-emptive strikes against nations and organisations. Military intervention for peacekeeping or conflict prevention cannot be justified unilaterally. It is irrational and immoral to continue activities that exacerbate threats to international and local security.
Effectiveness
PD203 The first objective of all government policy must be to provide real, sustainable security effectively. Real security cannot be based upon a balance of nuclear terror, nor upon a global domination by a group of states operating largely from self-interest. Societies and their governments must instead address the real threats facing us, by engaging in ecological and socially sustainable practices, eradicating poverty, and by building trust between peoples.
...
Minimum Intervention
PD206 Military intervention in disputes by external powers rarely solves the problem, and more often reinforces animosities. Emphasis at all times must be on forms of peaceful assistance to local and international organisations working to resolve conflict, to protect local culture and sustainable practices, to engage in genuine mediation and the building of strong democratic institutions, and to build links between the people within conflicting communities.
PD207 In those desperate situations when this becomes impossible and some form of military intervention involving UK forces is necessary in the immediate term to prevent conflict or extreme and sustained oppression, it must be under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) or within Europe under the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).Source

Green have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should intelligence agencies be merged to create a central EU agency?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoPD442 Police and intelligence investigations of terrorist activity need to be well resourced, and given sufficient freedom to ensure their safety and efficacy. They must, though, be carried out in a transparent and accountable way, and remain within the law.
...
Shared Intelligence
PD450 Military intelligence plays a crucial role in building rational, informed decisions over the use and preparations of military resources. However, not only can it undermine many of the values of a society (see legitimacy) when exercised unchecked, but it can build up a culture of suspicion and conflict; the Cold War was built upon a war of espionage. A Green government would rely upon intelligence mainly gathered openly from a wide range of sources. We would have a more extensive network of independent contacts in regular communication across the world, engaged in other genuine economic activities, passively picking up political, social and military information by their very presence within a society. Military intelligence would be under similar democratic constraints to other activities.Source

Should our country defend other NATO countries that maintain low military defense budgets relative to their GDP?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoPD513 The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is a military-oriented body, which imposes conflict cessation rather than encouraging peace building. As such, it is not a sustainable mechanism for maintaining peace in the world. In the long term, we would take the UK out of NATO. We would also end the so-called "special relationship" between the UK and the US.Source

Should the EU sanction member countries with authoritarian governments?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: YesIP331 Prevention of human rights abuses, conflict prevention and resolution, promotion of sustainable human development, coordination of humanitarian aid, global environmental research and agreements on the conservation and rational use of the planet should be the primary roles of the UN.
IP332 The international community cannot stand back and allow gross human rights abuses to take place. The emergent 'Responsibility to Protect' doctrine promises to legitimise UN intervention in cases of ethnic cleansing and genocide. However, military intervention should always be a last resort, as modern wars inevitably cause death and injury to civilians, and the post conflict situation may be problematic.
Therefore the Green Party will press for the use of a United Nations Index of Human Rights to monitor governments that commit human rights abuses and to provide an explicit basis for seeking to restrain such regimes.
IP333 All governments will have their human rights record continuously assessed by a UN agency set up for that purpose. A scale will be established measuring several indicators of human rights performance. The scale will be finalised by agreement at the UN level, but will be centred on the following abuses:
use of torture
use of death penalty
scale of 'disappearances'
abuse of political prisoners
denial of right to fair trial
denial of free speech
denial of free movement
denial of right to political or religious freedom
denial of rights to women
denial of child rights
denial of minority rights
denial of rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people
A score reflecting their performance will be allocated to each state on an annual basis.
IP334 Once the Index is installed, governments with the worst record of human rights as measured on this Index will be referred to the International Court of Justice or the International Criminal Court. If the Court finds that their human rights performance falls below accepted legal standards, the regimes will be given time and assistance to improve their record. In the event of non-compliance, the matter will return to the Court, and if found at fault, the regime will suffer penalties in terms of its members' privileges in the fields of finance, diplomacy, transport and trade. The severity of the penalties will increase as their human rights performance deteriorates, and decrease as their human rights performance improves. The penalties will be targeted to hurt the ruling elite rather than the general population.
IP335 At the same time, countries lying just above the level at which legal action will be taken will be offered help and advice to improve their human rights performance.
...
International consequences
IP640 The Green Party calls on the United Nations and the European Union to implement international sanctions against those states which refuse to comply with the calls above.Source

Green’s answer: NoEU310 The Green Party believes that the excessive influence of the Commission and its associated bodies compared to the Council and Parliament is both undemocratic and unaccountable. We shall support proposals to reduce that influence, and to render the Commission the servant of the Council and Parliament.
EU311 The role of the Commission shall be:
i)to act as the civil service for the EU, which shall include suggesting necessary legislation;
ii)to provide factual information on the activities and policies of the EU, including the provision of base data;
iii)to draw up the EU budget for approval by the Council and Parliament and to implement the agreed budget;
iv)to implement decision on the direction of expenditure, tackling inefficiency and eliminating fraud;
v)to implement other decisions of the Council and Parliament as directed.Source

Should the number of countries in the European Union be reduced to 15?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoPart 7: EU Enlargement
Introduction
EU800 The Green Party's vision for Europe is of different, overlapping groupings of countries and regions. A radically reconstituted EU would be amongst these. It is against this background that we must consider the question of the enlargement of the EU. We must ensure that any enlargement moves towards this different vision, not further away from it.
EU801 The EU is committed to enlargement, and several countries have applied to join. EU member states have recognised that enlargement cannot take place without substantial change, but they are divided as to what this change should be.
EU802 There are those who believe that there must first be a "deeper" Union; the process of integration must have gone much further before any new members are admitted. There are others who advocate a "wider", more inclusive Union, bringing in applicant states more quickly through flexibility. Given our vision for Europe, The Green Party would prefer the latter approach.
EU803 There are also difficulties caused by the perception that the national interests of some existing members would be damaged by the membership of some applicants.
Objective
EU810 To ensure that any enlargement of the EU brings about a Europe much closer to our Green vision of a peaceful, decentralised, democratic continent with high social and environmental standards. To avoid merely pushing the walls of "fortress Europe" further out.
Policies
EU820 The Green Party believes that any European country which wants to join the European Union should be able to do so if it meets the following requirements:
EU821 To become a member, a state must be a democracy, respect human rights, have a free press, an independent judiciary, a commitment to environmental standards at least equal to those demanded in the EU, civilian control of the military, and be at peace both outside and within its borders.
EU822 Applicant states should be assisted by the EU to raise their environmental standards. Similarly the EU shall prepare to receive new members by, amongst other things, reforming the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy. The EU shall also reform its institutions.
EU823 For each applicant country, a realistic time table shall be established, during which both the applicant country and the EU would make the mutually agreed necessary adjustments. No applicant country shall join until the EU has fulfilled its side of the agreement. This period should not exceed 10 years; any longer would remove the sense of urgency.
EU824 In each applicant country there shall be a referendum with equal funding for pro and anti groups, once the terms of admission have been negotiated. Only if a majority of those voting want to join, should the application go ahead.
EU825 Every member state may leave through the same process of referendum.
EU826 No new member should be required to reduce its environmental standards, human, animal or civil rights, such as freedom of information, if they are already higher than those operating within the EU.Source

Should there be fewer or more restrictions on current welfare benefits?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: FewerSocial Welfare provision has often been inadequate, disempowering, discriminatory and ineffective. People in need, who receive a service, too often receive a minimal service, which may be the cheapest option available rather than the option that best promotes independence. The inadequate provision puts stress on both carers and those receiving the service.Source

Should the government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the national debt?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoEC610 Appropriate national public expenditure will be necessary for the regeneration of the supply side of the economy to achieve the green objectives. Extensive investment is required to repair the damaged natural environment; to restore infrastructure; and to develop re-skilling and retraining in socially- and environmentally-friendly production and services.Source

Should the top tax rate of income over £150,000 be raised to 50 percent?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: YesTax rates will be banded and will increase progressively so that those on higher incomes are paying higher marginal rates of tax. In particular, rates higher than 40% will be introduced for those on the highest...Source

Should Canada pursue free trade deals with other countries?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Nowe seek to replace the unsustainable economics of free trade and unrestricted growth with the ecological alternative of local self reliance and resource conservation, within a context of wider...Source

Should child benefits be restricted to a maximum of two children?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoThe Green Party believes the current system of support for parents with dependent children is unnecessarily complex, involving a mixture of universal benefit and means-tested income support and tax credits. As part of the phased introduction of the Citizen's Income scheme, we will amalgamate these meanstested benefits within a reduced-rate Citizen's Income (or enhanced Child Benefit) for each child, paid directly to the parents or legal guardian. The first stage of this, as part of the initial, partial, cost-neutral implementation of the Citizen's Income (see above), could increase current child benefit rates by 35%, to around £20 per week for the first child and £15 per week for each additional child.Source

Should 18-21 year olds take on unpaid community work in order to claim benefits?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoWe reject workfare* and forcing unemployed people into unsuitable jobs by removing benefits *Workfare in the United Kingdom refers to government workfare policies whereby individuals must undertake work in return for their benefit payments - from WikipediaSource

Green’s answer: No, reform so the tax rate is based on the wealth of the recipient rather than the deceasedReform inheritance tax, so that the level of taxation depends on the wealth of the recipient rather than that of the deceased, raising £3bn by 2013. This will encourage people to distribute their property...Source

Green’s answer: NoBasic Income (sometimes called Citizen’s Income or Universal Basic Income) is a guaranteed, non-means-tested income, sufficient to cover basic needs, payable to every woman, man and child legally resident in the UK. It would replace personal tax-free allowances and most social security benefits. Children would receive a reduced Basic Income, Child Benefit. People who are disabled and lone parents would be paid a supplement. Pensioners would receive their Basic Income as a Citizen’s Pension. Housing Benefit would be payable in the initial stages of a transfer to Basic Income.Source

Should the government raise or lower the tax rate for corporations?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Yes, and close existing loopholes allowing corporations to shift profits abroadCorporation Tax will continue to be levied on the net profits earned by companies. These will be banded, with higher rates payable by larger companies in order to encourage smaller...Source

Should homeowners pay higher taxes on "mansions" valued over £2m?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Yes, this will help reduce wealth inequality in the UKA Green Party-controlled local authority has been accused of plotting a 'backdoor mansion tax' which would see owners of homes worth £2million or more paying over £9,000 a year in...Source

Green’s answer: YesPage 7: "Take steps towards the introductionof a universal basic income, includinga government sponsored pilotscheme, as a means to increasesecurity and avoid the poverty...Source

Should tenants receive less benefits if they live in a housing association or council property with more bedrooms than occupants?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoThe Green Party has welcomed the Labour Party’s long-overdue pledge to abolish the Bedroom Tax – provided this is a promise they intend to honour if...Source

Should the government use economic stimulus to aid the country during times of recession?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: YesEC664 A Green Government will therefore develop and implement a programme of banking reform based on the following principles:
a) All national currency (both in cash and electronic form) will be created, free of any associated debt, by a National Monetary Authority (NMA) that is accountable to Parliament;
b) The 1844 Bank Charter Act will be updated to prohibit banks from creating national currency in the form of electronic credit. To finance their lending, investment or proprietary trading activities, banks will have to borrow or raise the necessary national currency from savers and investors;
c) The NMA will be mandated by law to manage the stock of national currency so that it is sufficient to support full employment, while avoiding general inflation in prices, and taking into account the development of local currencies (Ref. paragraph EC678);
d) Any new money created by the NMA will be credited to the account of the Government as additional revenue, to be spent into circulation in the economy in accordance with the budget approved by Parliament;
e) The members of the NMA will be appointed – for fixed terms - by a Select Committee of Parliament;
f) The independence and integrity of the NMA will be assured by law requiring NMA members and staff to be free of any conflict of interest; mandating full transparency of NMA decisions; and prohibiting lobbying or undue influence of NMA members or staff by government, financial institutions, corporations or any other private interest.Source

Should the government provide tax incentives to private companies to keep jobs within the country?statsdiscuss

Do you support the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: No“Greens are totally opposed to TTIP, which threatens to undermine our ability to protect the high standards of environmental protection, employment rights, and animal welfare that we take for granted.
“The proposals to protect corporate investors against the democratic interests of citizens must not be allowed to stand. As Greens in the European Parliament we pledge to do everything in our power to prevent TTIP from being agreed.”Source

Should mortgage lenders be allowed to provide buy-to-let mortgage loans?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: No, buy to let mortgages lead to inflated housing pricesFinally, we need to move beyond just looking at supply. Until we regulate the private rented sector to stabilise rents and improve security, everybody will be clamouring to own their own home and new private rented supply will leave people stuck renting with a raw deal. Until we stop stoking up demand through policies like Help to Buy and buy-to-let tax breaks, and look to reduce demand through policies like land value taxation and controls on second homes, we cannot hope for supply to match demand.Source

Should the government abolish the non-domicile rule which allows residents to limit the tax paid on earnings outside the UK?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: YesThe Green Party said the changes "could not come a moment too soon" while UKIP said aspects of the non-dom rules were "ludicrous" but any reform must be thought through to ensure it didn't disadvantage the public...Source

Should the government add or increase tariffs on products imported into the country?statsdiscuss

Green have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should the government classify Bitcoin as a legal currency?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Pro-choiceHE702 The Green Party believes that contraception and abortion are an essential part of healthcare and should be accessible, effective, safe and confidential for all through a publicly funded NHS. In the case of devolved powers, such as Northern Ireland, the Green Party supports advocacy for changes to reproductive health restrictions, and in the meantime calls for the transportation, accommodation and medical fees of abortion patients to be covered by the NHS.
HE703 The Green Party would support a change in the law to allow the procedure to be carried out by appropriately trained nurses and midwives up to three months of pregnancy.Source

Green’s answer: Yes"Almost 5,000 same-sex couples were married in 2014 thanks to the Liberal Democrats in coalition making equal marriage a reality" - Lynne Featherstone, Former Lib Dem MP for Hornsey and Wood Green and UK Equalities...Source

Should terminally ill patients be allowed to end their lives via assisted suicide?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: YesUnder a Green government there would be no student loans as there would be no tuition fees and living costs would be met by Citizen’s...Source

Should free meals be offered to all primary school students?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Yes, but only if they meet high nutritional standardsProviding free, healthy school lunches is the common sense solution to tackling so many of the problems facing our children and their parents today. When it comes to childhood obesity, spiralling food costs or the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor areas, policies like this will go a long way to ensure a healthier, happier and fairer society.Source

Should all state schools be required to follow a standard curriculum?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoCurriculum for school-aged children ED040 According to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children's opinions on what and how they are taught should be taken into account. Children and young people's own interests and enthusiasms are the natural starting-point for productive learning, the roots from which a broad curriculum can grow. Policy ED041 Therefore the National School Curriculum will be replaced with a set of learning entitlements (listed below), in the context of which learners and teachers together will develop curriculum content to suit their needs and interests. Children and young people will be entitled to experience of: How to engage with learning, and how to develop speaking, listening and thinking skills. Emotional literacy and well-being, social skills and physical well-being including education in sex and relationships which will build on existing good practice. This will be achieved through a broad learning environment (see below) and through more rigorous teac...Source

Would you support the return of a selective education system and the reintroduction of grammar schools?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoEducation should be at the heart of communities and for communities, and should promote equality, inclusivity, social and emotional well-being and responsibility and be democratically accountable to...Source

Should every student be required to take a GCSE exam at the end of Year Eleven?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoAssessment ED050 A healthy education system would include a broad range of cumulative, formative and summative assessment, including self-assessment. Assessment should be unobtrusive and in the interests of enhancing the learning of the individual child. ED051 There is currently too much emphasis on national tests and fulfilling marking schemes, which can oppress teaching and learning and create a great deal of unnecessary pressure on children as young as 5. [i] Teaching and learning are too often dominated by meeting targets and ticking boxes both for teachers and for pupils. ED052 Currently many people specialise in their subject choice at a very early age. Achievement in practical and vocational subjects is still held in lower esteem than academic achievement. Policy ED053 In order to promote the aims of education outlined in the Introduction and encourage and give importance to the broad range of subjects and learning styles outlined in Curriculum (ED041), assessment of social, creative and emotional ski...Source

Should the government allow businesses, charities, parents or teachers to use public money to start "free schools"?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: No, free schools divert money away from existing schoolsFree Schools and Academies, although publicly funded, currently lack local democratic accountability and oversight. We will integrate them into the Local Authority school...Source

Should the government require children to be vaccinated for preventable diseases?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: YesHE402 The Green Party supports vaccination as a primary means of preventing many diseases. All children should have a right to receive vaccines. The Green Party supports the extension of current vaccination programs, including extending HPV vaccinations to young boys.Source

Green’s answer: NoEN261 We will cancel construction of new nuclear stations and nuclear power will not be eligible for government subsidy; the Green Party opposes all nuclear power generation and is particularly opposed to the construction of new nuclear power stations. Cancellation will avoid the costs and dangers of nuclear energy and waste being passed on to future generations long after any benefits have been exhausted.Source

Green have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should the government be able to monitor phone calls and emails?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoThe Green Party of England and Wales believes that illegal mass surveillance must be opposed. The Green Party will campaign against such surveillance and will act to protect whistle blowers such as Snowden who oppose illegal intrusion by the...Source

Green’s answer: NoThe Green Party has called on the Coalition Government to ban zero-hours...Source

Should the UK reinstate a form of mandatory national service?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: No, service should be an option instead of obligationNon-conscripted soldiers (and military sailors and air-crew) will still be required for permanent defence duties and participation in international peace-enforcement. The minimum age of recruitment to the Armed Forces will be 18 or older. All members of the Armed Forces will be entitled to the same rights as any civilian employee, including the rights to refuse orders on grounds of conscience and trade union membership. The responsibility and complexity of the military role envisaged by us will require a higher level of training than offered at present.Source

Green’s answer: YesPA600 The Green Party believes that the hereditary principle should have no place in government. Therefore the Green Party advocates that: No person shall acquire the right to any office of government by inheritance. An hereditary peerage shall confer no right to sit in Parliament (see PA455). The monarchy shall cease to be an office of government. The legislative, executive and judicial roles of the monarch shall cease. Peers and members of the royal family shall have the same civil rights and fiscal obligations as other citizens. A settlement of property held by the current royal family shall be made, to divide it between that required for the private life of current members of the family and that to be public property.Source

Should Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish MPs be entitled to vote on legislation which only affects England?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: YesDr. Rupert Read reflects on the consequences of the Smith Commission for UK democracy and argues for a constitutional convention to give an opportunity to fully consider the constitution that is needed. So, the Smith Commission has reported. This is a big big day for British democracy. Our common future depends on the response to today. But a key point is this: It’s too soon to say exactly what that response should be. This isn’t quite Devo-Max, but it is a big step forward, that the Green Party, with its Scottish Parliamentarians, has been crucial in achieving as part of 5-party cross-party talks that only concluded late last night. The stage is now set for similar powers to be decentralised down to regions and localities in England (as well as for a further devolution to Wales). But, while it is right – it is vital – that Scotland, which had a referendum and a solemn promise from the Unionist parties in that referendum campaign, gets its new powers asap, and without delay, the broader ramifications need to...Source

Green’s answer: Yes, and with proportional representationThe Green Party believes that the House of Lords should be a wholly elected Second Chamber and as such the Appointments Commission should be abolished. Stuart Jeffrey, Policy Coordinator on the Green Party Executive said, “Whilst we are content with the proposed size of 300 members, consideration should be given to a ten year term, with 50% of the House elected each time. This would ensure a more proportional result.”
The Green Party would wish to see a fully proportional electoral system using an open list system with the Sainte-Laguë system used to allocate seats as is used in many countries around the globe.Source

Green’s answer: YesDU405 Cannabis would be removed from the 1971 Misuse of drugs act. The possession, trade and cultivation of cannabis would be immediately decriminalised, roughly following the Dutch model. The trade in Cannabis would be the subject of a Royal Commission (see below), with a view to establishing a fully legalised, controlled and regulated trade. Small-scale possession of drugs for personal use would be decriminalised. The starting point would be advice to policing authorities to caution rather than prosecute for offences of drug possession for personal use and to refer offenders to the health-care services (see DU411). Subsequently, regulations would be brought forward removing criminal sanctions for simple possession of controlled drugs for personal use. The recommended sentences for small-scale supply would be non-custodial options. The possession of pipes made for the use in connection with smoking of opium would no longer be a criminal offence. A Royal Commission or similar body would be established to review currently controlled drug classifications, within a legalised environment of drug use. This commission would, after wide consultation, consider and recommend frameworks of social, economic and health conditions for drug use and supply.Source

Should the government pass laws which protect whistleblowers?statsdiscuss

Should internet service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites (that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less popular websites (that pay lower rates)?statsdiscuss

Should nonviolent drug offenders be given mandatory jail sentences?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: No, we should decriminalise most drugsUnder prohibition, illegal drugs are made not only more attractive to some, but also tend to be more poisonous and expensive. Consequently users become unhealthier and more likely to steal and deal. The cost of enforcing prohibition is becoming increasingly untenable.Source

Do you support the use of Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs)?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: No“ASBOs set a very dangerous precedent for the future: the government has introduced them as a way to criminally convict people through the civil courts, for crimes they have not committed.
Gareth Lynbourne, Policy Director,...Source

Green’s answer: Yes, and more power should be given to regional governmentsSource

Should the Welsh assembly be granted more devolved power from Parliament to create regional laws?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Yes, the Welsh assembly should be given powers equal to those of the Scottish ParliamentProvision will be made for increasing the roles of the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and the Northern Irish Assembly in accordance with the wishes of the...Source

Green’s answer: NoThe Green Party is fundamentally opposed to all blood-sports. We oppose the killing of, or infliction of pain or suffering upon, animals in the name of sport or leisure, and will work to end all such...Source

Should the government increase environmental regulations on businesses to reduce carbon emissions?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Yes, and provide more incentives for alternative energy productionSuch taxation is designed to encourage movement towards a sustainable economy, by increasing the prices of items or services produced using unsustainable or polluting practises. It will therefore be calculated to achieve the desired environmental effects, not to maximise revenue. It is acknowledged that environmental taxation can only be successful when integrated with a great many other policy measures, including regulation where necessary.Source

Do you support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoThe Green Party is the only political party taking action to stop fracking and prevent runaway climate...Source

Do you support the use of genetically engineered crops and foods?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: NoThe Green Party supports a moratorium on the use of GMOs in all agricultural systems including production of human food and animal feed and on importation of GM food or feed... So long as any such food is available in this country, it must be labelled as containing genetically modified ingredients or coming from genetically modified sources.Source

Should disposable products (such as plastic cups, plates, and cutlery) that contain less than 50% of biodegradable material be banned?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: None of my business what other people do, and I shouldn't try to control their actions via government.Source

Should Canada switch to a proportional representation voting system?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: YesGreen MP Caroline Lucas brought forward a Ten Minute Rule motion this afternoon calling for an unspecified form of proportional representation.
Ms Lucas told the Commons voters first-past-the-post was leaving voters “disillusioned, disaffected and disengaged”.
Her bill, which also called for the voting age to be lowered to 16, was rejected by 81 votes to 74, meaning it will not receive a first reading.
Conservative former minister John Penrose spoke against the motion, arguing the question of electoral reform should be left alone for a “long, long time” in light of the overwhelming rejection of AV in the 2011 referendum.
But Ms Lucas said the 2011 vote was “irrelevant”, since proportional representation is a completely different system.
She claimed first-past-the-post was causing “pervasive damage” to democracy in the UK.
“Our electoral system is broken and we urgently need to address some of the reasons why,” she said.
“As a country we pride ourselves on our strong commitment to democracy yet the vast majority of votes up and down the land simply do not count. Power is held by a small minority and the voting system upholds the status quo.Source

Should political candidates be required to release their recent tax returns to the public?statsdiscuss

Should corporations, unions, and non-profit organizations be allowed to donate to political parties?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: Yes, but limit the amount they can donatePA353 Annual caps will be introduced for political donations from individuals and organisations. These limits will apply to the total of all donations (including as membership fees) to political parties, candidates for elections to all levels of government, and referendum campaigns.Source

Green’s answer: YesCJ374 Prisoners will be granted the right to vote. Any decision to deny a prisoner the vote will be taken only by a judge, taking into account the particular circumstances of his/her...Source

Should non-violent prisoners be released from jail in order to reduce overcrowding?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: YesCJ340 Wholly unacceptable levels of men, women and children are currently imprisoned at great cost to their future rehabilitation, as well as to their families, the taxpayer and society in general. The Green Party is therefore committed to significantly reducing the prison population. To that end, a range of measures will be used, including changes to sentencing policy and practice. Courts will have a duty to reduce use of custodial sentencing in favour of community sentencing. (See also 'Immediate Prison Reforms' section, below.)Source

Green’s answer: NoA new era of public ownership of the railways could save the Treasury more than £1bn a year (1) and deliver improved services and lower rail fares for passengers, said the UK’s Green MP today.
In a Private Member’s Bill to be presented in Parliament, Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion) will urge that England’s fragmented railway system be gradually brought back into public hands as franchises expire or companies break the terms of their franchise agreement.Source

Should the government increase spending on public transportation?statsdiscuss

Green have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should the London Underground be considered an "essential service" which would ban all future worker strikes?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: No"The London Green Party, together with other members of the campaign group Hands off London Transport (HOLT), has pledged its support to the RMT transport union in their fight against redundancies, the closure of 260 ticket offices and the switch from Oyster Cards to contact-less bank cards, which is being forced through by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson."Source

Do you support the construction of a high speed railway (HS2) connecting London to Birmingham?statsdiscuss

Green’s answer: No, we should improve existing rail networks insteadToday's Green Party conference in Cardiff came out overwhelmingly against the HS2 proposal for a Birmingham-London 250 mph train. The Greens, who say they remain committed to genuine improvements in public transport, voted overwhelmingly to campaign against the HS2 project which goes to consultation on Monday, saying proposals currently on the table would be "economically and environmentally unsound."Source

Should Muslim immigrants be banned from entering the country until the government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: NoDonald Trump’s comments about Muslim immigration to the US are “a political mistake too far,” Ukip’s leader has said.
When asked about Mr Trump’s comments Nigel Farage told BBC News that the UK had a “huge problem” but said the Republican presidential nomination contender had “gone too far”.
“I think Mr Trump’s somewhat knee-jerk reaction to this, saying that all Muslims should be banned from coming into America was perhaps for him a political mistake too far,” he told the new channel.Source

Should immigrants be required to pass a citizenship test to demonstrate a basic understanding of our country’s language, history, and government?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: Yes, replace it with a bill of rights that gives the UK more legislative controlPage 41 of UKIP manifesto:Repeal Labour’s Human Rights legislationand remove the UK from the jurisdiction ofthe European Court of Human Rights.Introduce a new UK Bill of...Source

Should the UK be allowed to access European Markets once they leave the EU?statsdiscuss

Should the government increase or decrease military spending?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: IncreaseIn their speeches Nigel Farage and Mike Hookem set out how UKIP will plough a cumulative £16bn extra into defence during the course of the next parliament compared to the other parties, meet that 2% of GDP NATO commitment every year and set out a range of new policies to help veterans.
They also confirmed UKIP's full support for our armed forces, something that the other parties have forgotten or rejected, despite being quick to send our troops into war. The Conservatives and Labour have sent our men and women into war far too quickly, and without thinking of the full consequences. From today, it should be clear: UKIP is the party of defence.
We are the only party to have committed to spending 2 per cent of Britain's GDP on defence. We think it is of far greater importance to this country than the commitment to overseas aid as we believe the first duty of government is defence.Source

UKIP’s answer: No, this would allow ISIS to control SyriaUK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage says Britain may need to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad in the fight against the common threat posed by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).
Farage said he doesn’t support Prime Minister David Cameron’s plan to bomb Syria on the “current terms,” adding the PM has a “poor record” on foreign policy.Source

Do you support the military offensive against ISIS in the Iraqi city of Mosul?statsdiscuss

Should 18-21 year olds take on unpaid community work in order to claim benefits?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: YesWe will also enroll unemployed welfare claimants onto community schemes or retraining workfare programmes. If people don’t turn up for these then their benefits will be stopped. UKIP will crack down on benefit fraud. We will make a welfare state for the needy, not a bed for the lazy.Source

UKIP’s answer: No, any worker should be rewarded based on their successThe attack on banker bonuses would hurt ordinary workers, UK Independence Party spokesman Godfrey Bloom said today in response to the European Union's move to cap bankers'...Source

UKIP’s answer: YesUKIP will abolish inheritance tax. Inheritance tax brings in under £4bn - less than a third of what we spend on foreign aid. The super-rich avoid it, while modest property owners get caught by it. It hits people during a time of grief and UKIP will budget in its 2015 spending plans to completely abolish this unfair death tax.Source

Should homeowners pay higher taxes on "mansions" valued over £2m?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: No, but implement the tax on foreign owned propertyThe Lib Dems originally put forward the idea of a mansion tax before the 2010 election but have since refined their policy, saying they will overhaul council tax bands for the most expensive homes. The Conservatives and UKIP are opposed to the idea, describing it as an attack on aspiration.Source

UKIP have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should tenants receive less benefits if they live in a housing association or council property with more bedrooms than occupants?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: NoWe oppose the government’s ‘bedroom tax’ which will not release housing stock, it will just make people in them...Source

Should the government use economic stimulus to aid the country during times of recession?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: No, recession is a natural cycle that purges excessPage 3-4
'accept there is no alternative to
major cuts in government spending. We do
not accept that service improvements require
ever-increasing government expenditure, and
believe there is substantial waste and
inefficiency that can be eliminated while vital
front line services remain fully protected. UKIP also believes profligate government spending
is killing off the productive activity that provides
tax funds, and that easing the burden will be
the route to revitalising the economy.'Source

Should the government provide tax incentives to private companies to keep jobs within the country?statsdiscuss

Do you support the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: NoMultiple signs held up by UKIP members opposing TTIP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mpIv2aaeGM
Nigel Farage denounces TTIP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe7EiGdQPiQ
Nigel Farage says that TTIP is dangerous to the NHS, which he supports staying in the public sector, therefore indirectly criticising TTIP.Source

Should mortgage lenders be allowed to provide buy-to-let mortgage loans?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: Pro-choice"[Paul Nuttall, Labour leader] he wants to see the legal term limit for abortions halved to 12 weeks." and "also told Sky News he would also hold a referendum on reducing the legal period for abortions should the public want...Source

Should women be allowed to wear a Niqāb, or face veil, to civic ceremonies?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: NoOne of the frontrunners to become the new Ukip leader has used his official campaign launch to defend Donald Trump and to call for a national referendum on banning women from wearing the...Source

UKIP’s answer: Yes, but only for students studying in fields of high job demandSubject to academic performance UKIP will remove tuition fees for students taking approved degrees in science, medicine, technology, engineering, maths on the condition that they live, work and pay tax in the UK for five years after the completion of their degrees.Source

Should free meals be offered to all primary school students?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: NoEver since its announcement at last year’s Liberal Democrat party conference, the government’s decision to grant every child aged 5-7 a free school meal has been dogged by controversy.
Aside from it being questionable that in excess of £600million of taxpayers’ cash should be spent feeding the offspring of very affluent families (children from the poorest families have long received free school meals, irrespective of the child’s age), this politically motivated gimmick has been beset with eminently foreseeable difficulties from day one.Source

Should all state schools be required to follow a standard curriculum?statsdiscuss

Should every student be required to take a GCSE exam at the end of Year Eleven?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: NoUKIP will introduce an option for students to take an Apprenticeship Qualification instead of four non-core GCSEs which can be continued at A-Level. Students can take up apprenticeships in jobs with certified professionals qualified to grade the progress of the student. Source

Should the government allow businesses, charities, parents or teachers to use public money to start "free schools"?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: YesUKIP supports the principle of Free Schools that are open to the whole community and uphold British...Source

UKIP’s answer: YesBritain is sleepwalking into an energy crisis. Families suffer as energy prices rise. Millions are living in fuel poverty. One pensioner dies from the cold every seven minutes in winter, according to Age UK. Meanwhile, the old parties continue to push ‘green’ energy policies that only make energy more expensive and the supply of energy less reliable.Source

UKIP’s answer: NoUKIP fully supports the British Monarchy and its Constitutional role. We oppose disestablishment of Church, and believe the Monarch should remain Defender of the Faith. We would restore public oaths of allegiance to the Monarch not the State, reflecting the constitutional role of the Monarchy in the UK Source

Should Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish MPs be entitled to vote on legislation which only affects England?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: NoUKIP will overcome the unfairness of MPs from devolved nations voting on English-only...Source

Should internet service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites (that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less popular websites (that pay lower rates)?statsdiscuss

Should nonviolent drug offenders be given mandatory jail sentences?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: No, we should decriminalise most drugsUkip leader Nigel Farage has denied ever taking drugs as he called for laws banning narcotics to be abolished. In colourful comments, he said Britain had lost the fight against drugs and pointed to Portugal as the way to go in decriminalising illegal substances to beat drug gangs. Farage denied being "pro drugs" but claimed criminalisation "is actually not really helping".Source

Do you support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: YesIn a speech at the Ukip party conference in London, energy spokesman Roger Helmer will say: "I have absolutely no sympathy for the rent-a-mob protesters, the swampies and the Occupy Movement and the anti-capitalists and eco-freaks who have sought to hijack the Balcombe protest."Source

Do you support the use of genetically engineered crops and foods?statsdiscuss

Should the government increase spending on public transportation?statsdiscuss

UKIP have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should the London Underground be considered an "essential service" which would ban all future worker strikes?statsdiscuss

UKIP’s answer: YesJohnson, the London mayor, has made the most vocal demands for reform of strike laws. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he supported new voting thresholds on industrial action ballots and argued many cities had total bans on strikes by essential transport workers. "I think [minimum thresholds] would be reasonable for vital public transport functions such as the London Underground which has to keep the greatest city on earth moving, on which millions of people depend on for their livelihoods," he said.Source

Do you support the construction of a high speed railway (HS2) connecting London to Birmingham?statsdiscuss

SNP’s answer: LessDuring this year's Scottish Parliament election campaign Alex Salmond, the SNP leader and first minister of Scotland, made a memorable appearance on the BBC's Question Time staged in Liverpool. He boasted that his government had "eradicated the private sector" from the NHS in Scotland. Furthermore, Salmond implored the predominantly English audience not to allow the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour to "destroy" their English NHS.Source

Should there be more or less privatisation of hospital and healthcare services?statsdiscuss

Should the government increase funding for mental health research and treatment?statsdiscuss

SNP have not answered this question yet. Would you like to suggest their answer?

Should foreign visitors have to pay for emergency medical treatment during their stay in the UK?statsdiscuss

SNP’s answer: NoAlex Neil: We have looked at the issue and wethink that it is very marginal in Scotland. Healthtourism is very much focused on London and thesouth-east of England.Where appropriate, the NHS in Scotlandpursues people to recover costs, but sometimesthe costs of recovery can exceed the amount to berecovered. I will ask John Matheson whether hecan give you a more precise figure or the latestfigure, but I believe that the issue is totallymarginal. A couple of weeks ago, Jeremy Hunt,the English health secretary, said that the UKfigure was £500 million a year but I think that weare talking about single figures—certainly very lowfigures—in Scotland. We are nowhere near£50 million or 10 per cent of the UK figure; as Isaid, health tourism is heavily concentrated inLondon and the south-east of EnglandSource

Should private firms reimburse the NHS if they exceed a 5% profit on contracts?statsdiscuss

SNP’s answer: Yes, but I would rather eliminate any privatisation of the NHSSource

Should the UK deport immigrants who are considered to be promoting terrorism?statsdiscuss

SNP’s answer: YesSNP leader Alex Salmond, whose constituency covers Fraserburgh, said: "Clarke should be getting his jotters over this. "There is no question that this man is a danger to public safety and he should never have been allowed to roam loose in the north-east of Scotland."Source

Should immigrants be deported if they commit a serious crime?statsdiscuss

SNP’s answer: NoExternal Affairs Minister Fiona Hyslop said it is now clear only a Yes vote will protect Scotland’s place in Europe as the Tories prepare to lurch further to the right in an attempt to head off...Source

SNP’s answer: No“The proposals fail to even mention or explain how they would apply to Scotland. A Tory government at Westminster unelected by Scotland will attempt to force this on the people of Scotland and we cannot allow that to happen. Human rights are central to the laws of Scotland – and we should be doing everything we possibly can to ensure that the threat posed by these Tory plans is ended and human rights remain in place for everyone.
Source

Should the UK be allowed to access European Markets once they leave the EU?statsdiscuss